Core Objective: To develop freely available, accessible training modules that enhance the skills and knowledge of the biomedical research workforce, addressing identified gaps in educational resources.
Target Recipient Type/Size: US-based organizations including Higher Education Institutions, Nonprofits, For-Profit Organizations (including Small Businesses), and various Government entities, capable of developing educational content.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC/SECTOR-AGNOSTIC: SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic Scope: United States, including U.S. Territories or Possessions. Foreign institutions are not eligible.
Key Filtering Criteria: Must be a US-based organization, propose development of free training modules (not training programs with funded trainees), topic must align with current NIGMS NOSI, and no clinical trial component.
Grant Frequency/Program Context: Recurring funding opportunity (annual NOSIs) as part of the NIH Research Education Program (R25).
Financial Structure
Applications may request up to $250,000 in direct costs to cover the entire award project period.
Award project periods are up to three years.
Indirect Costs (Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs (exclusive of tuition and fees, expenditures for equipment, and consortium costs in excess of $25,000).
No cost sharing is required.
Eligible Costs include:
Salaries and fringe benefits for individuals designing, directing, and implementing the program, appropriate for time devoted and institution's policy (not exceeding congressionally mandated cap).
Incentives for module development participants, if sufficiently justified and itemized.
Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses, if specifically required and not duplicating institutional items.
Ineligible Costs include:
Inflationary escalation for recurring costs in outyears.
Costs to support full-time participants (40 hours/week for 12 months) as the R25 program is not a substitute for NRSA institutional training programs.
Salary or stipend supplementation for individuals supported by NIH training and career development mechanisms (K, T, or F awards).
Eligibility Requirements
Organization Type
Eligible entities: Higher Education Institutions (Public/State Controlled, Private), Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) IRS Status), For-Profit Organizations (Small Businesses, Other than Small Businesses), Local Governments, State Governments, County Governments, City or Township Governments, Special District Governments, Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized and Other), Federal Governments, U.S. Territory or Possession, Independent School Districts, Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities, Native American Tribal Organizations, Faith-based or Community-based Organizations, Regional Organizations.
Sponsoring institution must assure support with adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources.
Institutions with existing Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (e.g., T32) may apply if proposed educational experiences are distinct from those currently receiving Federal support.
Geographic Location
Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or U.S. Territories/Possessions.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Technical and Programmatic Qualifications
The proposed project must focus on 'Courses for Skills Development' or 'Curriculum or Methods Development'.
Applications must address a specific topic indicated in the most current Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) released annually by NIGMS; applications not addressing a specific NOSI topic will not be reviewed.
The project must develop educational resources in the form of training modules designed to be freely available to the broader community, at no cost.
Clinical trial(s) are 'Not Allowed'.
The grant is not designed to support a training program with funded trainees or participants.
Proposed educational experiences must be distinct from ongoing research training and education currently receiving Federal support.
Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) or team must have appropriate expertise and ability to organize, administer, monitor, disseminate, and evaluate the training module.
Registration Requirements
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain active registrations in: System for Award Management (SAM) (requires annual renewal), Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) (issued via SAM.gov), eRA Commons (organization must register with at least one Signing Official (SO) and one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account), and Grants.gov.
All registrations must be completed prior to application submission and can take 6 weeks or more.
All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account and affiliate with the applicant organization.
Application Process
Application Submission Dates
Application Due Dates (latest): January 27, 2026 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): December 26, 2023.
If a due date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow time for corrections.
Submission Methods
Applications must be submitted electronically through:
SF424(R&R) Other Project Information Component (Facilities & Other Resources - describing educational environment; do not duplicate Institutional Commitment).
SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded.
R&R Budget (with all non-PD/PI personnel in 'Other Personnel' section, no inflationary escalations).
PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement.
PHS 398 Research Plan, which must include:
Research Education Plan: Detailed description of the Proposed Training Module (topic, audience, gap addressed, educational goals, content, platform, accessibility plans, timeline, examples of use), Program Director/Principal Investigator Team (expertise, effort), Module Instructional Staff (recruitment plans), Module Development Participants (selection process/criteria for testing), Evaluation Plan (milestone monitoring, effectiveness assessment, measurable goals, consideration of comparator groups), Dissemination & Sustainability Plan (activities, commitment to NIGMS clearinghouse, post-grant maintenance).
Letters of Support: A Letter of Institutional Commitment is mandatory, assuring adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources, and including a sustainability statement. Applications lacking this letter will not be reviewed.
PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (if human subjects involved).
PHS Assignment Request Form.
Review and Award Timeline
Scientific Merit Review: July 2024, July 2025, July 2026.
Advisory Council Review: October 2024, October 2025, October 2026.
Earliest Start Date: December 2024, December 2025, December 2026.
Post-Submission Requirements
Recipients must submit Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required.
Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) reporting for subawards over the threshold.
Final RPPR and expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report for closeout.
Adherence to NIH Grants Policy Statement terms and conditions.
Evaluation Criteria
Overall Impact
Reviewers assess the likelihood for the project to strongly advance research education by fulfilling the goal of this program.
Scored Review Criteria
Significance: Importance of the problem addressed, how the project will improve concepts/methods/technologies, potential for advancing scientific knowledge, relevance to biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.
Protections for Human Subjects: Generally not applicable, but concerns will be noted.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan: Generally not applicable, but concerns will be noted.
Vertebrate Animals: Generally not applicable, but concerns will be noted.
Biohazards: Generally not applicable, but concerns will be noted.
Training in Methods for Enhancing Reproducibility: Not applicable.
Resubmissions: Not applicable (not allowed for this NOFO).
Renewals: Not applicable (not allowed for this NOFO).
Revisions: Not applicable (not allowed for this NOFO).
Additional Review Considerations (Not Scored)
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research: Not applicable.
Applications from Foreign Organizations: Not applicable (not eligible).
Select Agent Research: Generally not applicable.
Resource Sharing Plans: Not applicable for this NOFO; sharing described in Dissemination and Sustainability Plan.
Budget and Period of Support: Justification and reasonableness of the budget and requested project period in relation to the proposed work.
Programmatic Priorities
Applications will compete for available funds based on scientific/technical merit, availability of funds, relevance to program priorities, and portfolio breadth/geographical/institutional distribution.
Compliance & Special Requirements
Regulatory Compliance
Adherence to NIH Grants Policy Statement, Federal-wide Standard Terms and Conditions for Research Grants, and relevant legislation/policy.
Compliance with HHS civil rights laws (prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability) and federal conscience laws.
Compliance with Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements (review of applicant integrity, business ethics, and performance).
Data and Resource Sharing
A Data Management and Sharing Plan is 'Not Applicable' for this NOFO.
A Resource Sharing Plan is 'Not Applicable' for this NOFO.
Sharing of the training module with the biomedical research community must be described in the 'Dissemination and Sustainability Plan' and 'Letter of Institutional Commitment'. Modules must be freely available and linked on the NIGMS training module clearinghouse web site.
Accessibility Standards
Proposed training modules must be accessible, including compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. '794 d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105 220).
Programs are encouraged to explore innovative methods to enhance accessibility for all members of the biomedical research workforce.
Ethical Considerations
The proposed module should employ evidence-informed methods that promote an effective, safe, and supportive learning environment.
Module Instructional Staff should have a strong record of working effectively with scientists from a wide variety of backgrounds and actively promoting safe and supportive scientific biomedical research environments.
Exclusions
Clinical trials are not allowed.
Foreign institutions and foreign components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Projects that would replace or circumvent Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) programs are not allowed.
Applications that do not address a specific topic in the most current NOSI will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
Grant Details
biomedical
research
workforce
training
education
modules
curriculum
skills development
professional development
nigms
nih
r25
grants
federal funding
usa
academia
non-profit
for-profit
government
higher education
healthcare
science
stem
innovation
capacity building
instructional design
elearning
online education
section 508
accessibility
program development
continuing education
Modules for Enhancing Biomedical Research Workforce Training (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
PAR-24-040
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Education Program (R25)
Grants8